In this section:

How the speaking part is marked on the C1 Advanced Exam

While you will do this part of the exam with a partner, only your individual performance will be graded. Your partner's performance will have no affect on you.

Examiners look at five aspects of your writing: Grammar, Vocabulary, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication. 

This section will cover these details.

Lexical Resource

This mark has to do with the vocabulary you use, and how accurate it is. If you are able to show you can use not only basic vocabulary but topic-specific vocabulary well and accurately, you'll get a better mark here. They will also judge your knowledge of collocations, phrases, and idiomatic expressions here. Note: this does not mean awkwardly forcing idioms into your speech. Instead, it means choosing expressions that are natural and appropriate for the conversation.

Grammar Resource

This mark has to do with your grammar and how good it is. You need to demonstrate you can use simple phrases accurately, and you can use more complex ones. Note that complex grammar doesn's mean awkwardly shoving complex grammatical forms into your speech. It means using a variety of grammar that is appropriate to the conversation, that helps you communicate your ideas.

Discourse Management

This mark has to do with how coherent your speaking is, and how well you communicate your ideas. Those who are able to produce longer stretches of language that are easy to follow and make sense do better here. This mark also judges how relevant your ideas are to the task, and how you develop them. They want to see that you can communicate clearly, using relevant examples and reasons, and communicate everything in a logical order.

Pronunciation

This mark has to do how well you are understood. Note: this does NOT mean how well you can imitate a native speaker! Your accent is fine.

Instead, they want to see you can pronounce the words accurately despite your accent. A C1-level speaker should be able to communicate with a native English speaker who has no experience with learners in the real world and be easily understood. 

They also evaluate details such as intonation, tone, sentence stress and word stress here.

Interactive Communication

The speaking part of the exam is a discussion, so they will be evaluating how well you can take part in one. They want to see that you can initiate and respond to questions in an appropriate way. They also want to see that you are able to ask questions, negotiate, and exchange ideas with others as well as keep the conversation going. 

Marking from the Interlocutor

During this part of the exam, there will be 4 people in the room: you, your partner, the examiner who you're speaking with (the interlocutor), and a second examiner who will be marking you according to the criteria above.

The interlocutor will also evaluate you at the end of the session, according to the criteria below.